By SIPTU General Secretary Joe O’Flynn

Speaking at the graveside for the burial of former NEC member, Dick Duff on Wednesday 25th November, General Secretary Joe O'Flynn said: Dick was active for over fifty years serving the ITGWU, subsequently SIPTU, in virtually every voluntary capacity. From his time as a young boy working in Beamish and Crawford he was imbued with the desire to improve the position of his fellow workers and their families through his union activity.  He served at section level within the brewery and from there became active in the Cork No 2 Branch in 1963, later serving as Branch president.

Dick was very supportive but tenacious, challenging everything that he was uncomfortable with until he was satisfied that it was in the best interest of the members. At local level he was active on the Cork District Council and the Cork Council of Trade Unions. On retirement he became active in the Retired Members Section at local, regional and national levels.

He fervently believed in the principle of an egalitarian society where justice and fairness prevailed for all.  It was therefore the ultimate accolade for Dick when he was successfully elected to the National Executive Council of the ITGWU in 1984. He was enormously influential and commanded great respect. He served on the NEC of the ITGWU and later SIPTU for twenty years.

Dick’s industrial and union work was complemented by his activity at political level in the Labour Party. He was enormously loyal to the union, and while often critical internally, he would never allow a bad word to be said by anyone from the outside. Dick inspired many shop stewards to progress in the Union and was central to many staff being appointed to senior positions when he served as a member of the Staff Recruitment Sub-committee.

On behalf of my fellow Officers Jack O’Connor and Gene Mealy, the National Executive Council, his many colleagues, friends and members of the union, I want to express our deepest sympathy to Dick’s wife Norma, his daughter Lilian and sons, Paul, Kieran, Brian, and Richard, daughters-in-law, Claire, Gillian and Miriam, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.